Blessed Be Your Name - Matt and Beth Redman
Having previously read and enjoyed Matt Redman's 2004 book on worship, Facedown, I was happy to pick up the 2005 book he and his wife Beth wrote together, also on worship, entitled Blessed Be Your Name.
Anyone who has been in Christian circles for long enough will recognise that the title of this book comes from the song of the same name, that Matt and Beth wrote in 2002. It is a powerful song, in part because it not only focusses on worshipping God during the good times (eg. "When the sun's shining down on me... When the world's all as it should be") but also on worshipping God in the hard times (eg. "On the road marked with suffering...Though there's pain in the offering"). The book itself - which is only five chapters long - has a similar focus; each chapter title comes from a lyric in the song, and focusses on the ways in which we can still worship God during each season of our lives.
As with Facedown, this book doesn't give amazingly 'new' revelations to people that have been in the faith for years, but it does give important reminders, and sometimes can say a well-known idea in a fresh way. For example, in chapter 1, the authors point out that: "If we are to deny something good about God, we automatically imply something bad about Him. If we deny God's sovereignty and power, then we imply that, to a degree at least, He is weak and has lost control. If we can't bring ourselves to trust that He is full of mercy, then perhaps, at least in part, we're implying that He has a mean or uncaring streak. There is actually no middle ground. He either is the all-powerful, all-loving God who His Word declares Him to be - or He is not." (page 29).
This is not easy faith, and the Redmans don't try to pretend it is. Instead, they acknowledge some personal struggles of their own, including a number of miscarriages and some painful family history. They also include letters from people that have written to them when facing difficulties in life, and who have pointed out the way in which the song Blessed Be Your Name has helped them face those difficulties without losing their faith.
For a little book, it is certainly impactful.
I recommend this book. And I actually think I will be recommending it to some people.
Completed 28 May 2025.
(2025 Reading Challenge - "Non-Fiction on an Interest")
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